Analysis of 5 film openings

i analyised 5 film openings and this is my analysis of them

Media Studies:
Analysing 5 film openings
To help me and my group during the making of our opening I am analysing 5 film openings to see if they follow the stock codes and conventions of the particular genre we have chosen. Because horror was the most popular result from our questionnaire, we will be concentrating on horror and therefore I chose 5 films of the horror genre; ‘Sixth sense’, ‘Gothika’, ‘Jeepers Creepers’ ‘When a stranger calls’ and ‘long time dead’. I also chose these specific films because they are all 15 classification films, which is also the classification of film we are expected to make and therefore I felt it would help us because we would know what is acceptable in a 15 classification and what is not.
The first film I analysed was ‘Jeepers Creepers’ and the first camera shot the audience views is a long shot of a car, on a deserted highway in America. Although we cannot see the two characters, almost immediately audiences are confronted by the diagetic sound of the two characters in conversation. This conversation is relatable to audience members because it is a friendly, relaxed conversation between two siblings and therefore this automatically relaxes the audience. I noticed this was not a conventional opening of a horror film because it is in broad day light, the two characters are laughing and joking and the long shot of the car is relatable to the audience as it is a modern day object. The weather and settings – rolling countryside and fields- is pleasant and not at all scary, which contrasts with the genre of the film entirely. However I realised that this is done to lull the audience into a false sense of security, which is often done in horror films so that when the frightening moments of the film are revealed the audience will not anticipate it and therefore find it scarier than if tension had been built slowly through dark settings and slow paced music. The costumes used in ‘Jeepers Creepers’ are modern and casual, with both characters wearing t-shirts and jeans and this gives audience ideas of when the story is set (modern day times) and what class the characters are from (working/middle class), It also makes the characters more relatable to the audience. The only idea the audience get the genre of film is the long shot of the car on the deserted highway, which connotes the isolation of the two main characters, and in some way, their helplessness, which later on in the film becomes their downfall.
The second film I analysed was ‘When a stranger calls’, which is also a modern day film. I noticed the opening of this film was a lot busier and compact than ‘Jeepers Creepers’, with lots of different camera angles and movements. The first camera movement audiences’ view is a low angle, medium close up of a house, which later becomes the focal point of the film as it is where most of the action happens. The low angle shot represents this as it connotes its importance and also the isolation of the house which is emphasised by the mist surrounding it. Audience members are then confronted with a slow motion running shot of two children, with non diagetic sound of other children’s laughter in the background. Not only does this confuse audience members as the sound and picture are not in sync, it also gives the opening a sinister feeling as the children are unaware of any danger that could possibly be coming. The two children link in with the storyline of the film because the story is about babysitting and therefore this gives viewers an idea to what the film will involve and keep them engaged and interested. During these different scenes, audience also hear a non diagetic sound of a phone call, obviously between the victim and murderer which also links in with the storyline and helps build tension as the phone call becomes more sinister as the opening continues. The costume is modern, ordinary clothing which the audience can relate to and therefore find the horror film scarier as they can imagine it happening to them. Lighting is dark throughout the opening sequences, which is scary to the audience as they cannot see everything in the foreground and this connotes to the audience something – or more importantly – someone could be lurking in the background. This typical convention of a horror film is used because the dark is seen as unsafe and unwelcoming, so therefore audience members will instinctively be on edge and anticipating something terrifying to happen.
The third film analysis I completed was the ‘Sixth Sense’ and although this is still a modern day film, it was made in the late 1990s, not the early 2000s and therefore it is now seen as a classic horror film by many avid horror viewers. The first setting audience members are confronted by is in a cellar, with a long –obscured- shot of a female looking for something. The fact that the shot is obscured by shelving is sinister because it connotes to the audience someone is watching her, hiding behind the shelving. The lighting is extremely dark and dingy, so the film is following the typical stock convention of most horror films and therefore audience viewers are aware of the genre of the film almost immediately. The sound accompanying the picture helps to build tension because it gets faster and louder as the scene continues and audience members expected it to reach a crescendo, which instead it abruptly stops, which is also scary for audience members as something unexpected happens. The costume the female character is wearing are smart and modern, which connotes to the audience the character is a working professional with a large yearly wage. The fact that the first character introduced is female and not male also puts the audience on edge because stereotypically the females are usually helpless and the fact she is introduced on her own connotes to the audience she is isolated and helpless, which becomes a problem later on in the film.
The fourth film I have analysed was ‘Gothika’ and the first scene audience member’s view is an extreme close up shot of a female face, and her expressions connote that she may be mentally disturbed as she is highly hysterical and crying. The next camera shot used is a close up shot of another female face; however this contrasts with the first shot seen because the female is extremely composed and patient, which connotes to the audience that this female is in charge. This is also emphasised by the two characters clothing; the first female looks dishevelled and is wearing a uniform, whereas the second female looks smart and professional – this connotes to the audience she is of higher importance. The fact the shot is obscured – by bars- makes the audience feel trapped and therefore threatened, which increases the audiences tension. The next shot the audience see is an over the shoulder shot of both characters, which shows the characters are linked in some way, and also makes the audience feel more involved in the drama. The lighting used is dark and this also emphasises the sinister mood, foretelling the audience the genre of the film. Audience members can also hear slow non diagetic sound as well as the two characters speaking, which helps to build tension throughout. Although audience members are not shown a clear view of the setting, from the hints given, it is obvious that the setting is either a mental institution or prison because of the bars and the controlled surroundings which viewers would not anticipate to see in everyday life.
The final film I chose to analyse was ‘long time dead’, which I thought was most different from the other four film openings. The first camera shot used is a long shot of a group of men sitting around a table. These characters are wearing old, peasantry cloaks and therefore this connotes to the audience the opening is set back in time, more than 100 years ago. The sound used is the characters chanting, enhanced by wind noises, and from this it is clear to the audience the characters are taking part in some kind of ritual. Other camera shots used in the opening of the film are extreme close ups of the male characters faces, which help audience members see the characters expressions clearly and engage more with the drama. The lighting used helps set the scene because it is dark, like many of the other horror film openings and the only light seen is candle light, which also helps connote to the audience the pre modern setting of the film. The next camera shot is an extreme close up of a pendant which also emphasises the ritualistic feelings of the film.
I thought all of these films followed certain stock codes and conventions and used certain stereotypes of horror films, such as having the opening in dark lighting and using eerie music during the title sequence of the film. This is done so that audiences can quickly identify the particular genre of film and become more engaged quicker. After analysing the openings, I now have a better idea what ideas are effective and therefore will consider using some similar codes and conventions for my groups’ film opening, which will make it more effective.